Skysword
by Flamewind
Summary: Evernight is banished from his tribe, which puts him on a path he wants to walk alone. In spite of his wishes, he finds friends rally to him as a symbol of hope. As he gets closer to his goal, he fears he's gambling the lives of his loved ones searching for something which may not exist. /An absol fable./
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"When is Daddy coming back?" the young absol asked, bundling between the tribe elder's paws. He shivered, pressing close to her because of the cold air which always seemed to be present in her cave. Through the screen of her fur, he could see a few older absol stacking tinder in the center of their camp.

For a while, Galeforce, or simply Gale, looked down at him, blinking eyes of red so dark they looked black. The cub's answer was the distant dripping which echoed back to them from deep within the cave, farther back than he'd ever gone. "We don't know," she finally said.

"My Daddy's a hero, you know," he said. "I bet he'll give those humans a kick and a slice and he'll be back tomorrow!" He emphasized his point with a jab of his paw. Gale caught his horn before he could shear off any of her fur.

Paw steps approached the cave. "Evernight!" called the cub's mother, Soulflame. He froze, already associating his full name with being in trouble. Bounding in, she spotted him and softened her tone. "Ever, baby. Come here."

To Gale, she asked, "How is he taking it?"

"He doesn't understand yet," the elder said. "Give him some time."

"Will you tell us a story before we go?" Ever asked, turning big, pleading eyes toward the tribe elder.

"Of course."

"A small one," his mother murmured, her tail rapping against the stone floor.

"Of course," Gale repeated. "Now Ever, there's a story your father always wanted me to tell you, but I thought it was better to save it until you were older."

"Really?" he squeaked.

"Really. And I think the time has come that you heard it. It's a story of inheritance. Your inheritance," she tapped him on the nose with one claw. "When your father was young, he found an item of great worth. He called it the Skysword."

With a groan, Gale got to her paws and led him to the mouth of her cave, where there was loosely-gathered sand. She drew her claw through it, first drawing a rectangle vertically, then another horizontally on top of it. Then she connected it to two perpendicular lines, each a tail-length long, and brought them together to make a point.

"This is a sword," she said. "It's a human tool, sharp as the horn on your very head."

"What was it for?" he asked.

"Early… pokemon battles," she said. "Your father found one, but it was a very special one. Most swords are made of metal, but this one was made of the very sky itself. A great being created the hilt from clouds and the blade from stardust. Once formed, it shined as if it were a tiny sun itself. Now, you might wonder what your father did with such a sword."

Ever nodded enthusiastically. "You see, the Skysword was imbued with power. With a swipe, it could remake one's destiny. It was meant to only be wielded by the greatest of heroes. Your father was the first one to ever find its hiding spot. And he left it there."

"But, why?" he gasped.

"Because your father didn't want to change his destiny. He already had everything he wanted. So, he left it there and told few of its existence, keeping it a secret for the next generation to find. He once said to me that he wanted you to find it, but only when the time is right."

"Where is it?"

"Ahh, now that's a secret," she teased. "Promise you won't tell anyone if I tell you?"

"I do!"

She leaned forward, "He found it where the sky touches the earth."

Glancing up, she noticed Soul glaring daggers at her. "How about you run along and play with the other cubs, Ever?"

He was gone at her mere suggestion, leaving the two older absol alone. "That has to be the craziest thing I have ever heard," Soul said scathingly. "Have you not seen the tribe? Our numbers thin, our cubs few! The last thing we need is for one to go off looking for some… 'Skysword!'"

"Of course, Soul," she said. "But let him have some hope to hold on to. You know as well as I. His father will be a pokemon battler for the rest of his days."

"Some return," Soul said, though there was a tremor of uncertainty in her tone.

"Only the old and unwell."

The younger female bobbed her head reluctantly.

"We'll never forget Snow," Gale said. "For now, mourn. But remember, Ever will need a father figure and you should have a mate to warm your nest."

"Right," Soul said, with a quiet sigh. "The tribe needs Ever. I know he'll grow up strong, just like his father."

"With any luck, one day he'll lead us to a better place. Away from the humans."

"A hero."

Gale nodded. "Plant the seed and watch the tree grow. Great thing about young ones."

Soul blinked at her, confused, "Are you calling my son a tree?"

"In a way."

They both froze as a young voice called. "Let's climb that hill before dark!" The only hill in question they could climb was steep and rocky, not a fit place to be as the sun sank below the horizon.

"Cubs," Soul said, shaking her head. She got to her paws and nuzzled the older absol briefly. "Good night, elder."

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, I merely write fanfiction of it because I am a fan. I also don't own the cover art :) Assume I own nothing!

A/N: Hello folks, welcome to my little pet project. Progress on my novel is pretty sad right now so I'm trying to get the creative juices flowing with a side story.

Skysword is a fable. As such, it is going to be pretty clean. Not much blood and death, prey notwithstanding. This whole story is technically being told to a group of young absol by a bonfire (as you will see in chapter 1.) I've always wanted to write a story that took a closer look at absol culture since playing Sapphire. Let me share with you a couple Pokedex entries of this enigmatic species: "Rumored to sense disasters with its horn, it became a target. It fled deep into the mountains." & "It appears from deep in the mountains to warn people about upcoming disasters it has sensed with its horn."

When reading this, there's one thing that seems odd. Why do absol _come back _to warn people of disaster when they are so hunted? So that will be explained here, in due time.

I have high hopes that you as a reader will enjoy it as much as I liked writing it!


	2. Hunting With Jewel

**Chapter 1**

"Did he find it?"

Dusk blinked affectionately at the cubs who were bundled together, watching him with wide eyes. He was in charge of keeping them entertained this day, while their parents were out hunting and preparing for the winter feast. They sat by the bonfire, which cast their pelts in orange hues.

Dusk took a deep breath of smoke-tinged air and shook his head. "Now cubs, you should know, it's not about the destination, but the journey," he said. "Ever had to grow up first, to the taunts of his peers. You see, he never told anyone where the Skysword was. But that didn't stop him from bragging about how it would someday be his inheritance.

"He let that thought warm his nights as he grew into an adult and a great hunter for the tribe. However, if asked about his dreams, he would tell you he wanted to be stronger, tougher, a better fighter. He wanted to be able to climb sheer cliffs like Cragstone, hunt prey as efficiently as Brinewater, and overall be an absol worthy of the Skysword.

"He did know one thing about himself, though. And that was that he was a great brother. When his mother took another mate, she bore a daughter. Ever adored her. It is because of his sister that he went in search of the Skysword when he did, otherwise he may have had a much different fate.

"His sister wasn't like other absol; she was colored differently, like nothing the tribe had ever seen before. Her fur was gray, her horn copper. But it was her eyes which captivated the tribe, with their color a deep green like gemstones. Her name was…"

* * *

"…Jewelstorm!" Ever called, panting. He scanned the white limestone cliff, searching for the telltale copper color of her horn, to no avail. Though she may have been colored differently than the rest of the absol, she certainly could hide like one.

With a grunt, he hefted himself up another stone block, scanning the grass springing from between its cracks. "Rawr!" Jewel imitated a roar as she sprung up from her hiding spot at him.

Ever pretended to fall from the block in shock, landing on his side with the breath squeezed from his lungs. His sister chirped with glee as she jumped on him. "Tonight, I will feed you all singlehandedly, my tribe, with this freshly caught brother!" She puffed up proudly.

"Because you'll definitely take down something three times your size today," he teased.

The young absol merely chirped again and hopped off him. "Brine already taught me how to hide," she said.

"Hiding and hunting aren't the same thing, though," he said. "See that tuft of grass up there?" He motioned downward with his horn. A few yards from the cliff, grass and other greenery struggled to grow, succeeding only in clumps. One such bunch shook as a little black nose peeked from between two strands.

Ever glanced back to his sister, who watched the rattata emerging from its hiding spot with big, hungry eyes. "Follow my lead," he murmured to her. He dropped into a crouch, which she mirrored clumsily. They had to cross the cliff silently, so their prey would not notice them, taking slow, steady strides. One wrong paw and a rock could go skidding down, clacking loudly.

Thankfully, Jewel made no sound as she followed him, and soon he was in a good position to strike. He dug his claws in before taking a mighty leap. The rattata had only time to start a squeak of alarm before it perished from a blow to the neck. "Simple, no?" he asked, nosing the prey towards her. Ever kept guard as she ate her fill.

"I want to catch one to bring back to Crag," she said as he finished off what was left of his kill. As always, the mere thought of his adopted father made him have to stifle a growl. "He'll be really proud!"

Ever knew full well that she could bring back the smallest pidgey in the valley—Crag would still smother her with praises. All the while giving his adopted son a look that could make snow fall. So it was between the two of them. "Right. Let's go a little farther north and wait," he said, not wanting to dampen her mood.

They scaled part of the cliff and headed north. In the distance, Mount Eternal stretched high into the sky, its peak shrouded by thick, black clouds. Once, many absol tribes shared the land that stretched from the foothills of the mountain, through a thick forest, to the rocky plains land that Ever's tribe inhabited. Humans had driven their numbers down, though, by catching and killing alike. All because of the absols' special gift.

Some humans respected his kind and their role as harbingers of disaster. But most thought the absols' mournful howls _caused _that which they came to warn about. A misunderstanding which threatened to wipe his kind off the face of the planet.

If he looked over his shoulder, he could see vast, flat grassy lands which stretched into the horizon. His tribe owned the northern reaches and the cliffs beyond, while the only other tribe still in existence hunted the southern plains.

"I see one," Jewel whispered, bringing him from his musing. She pointed her copper tail toward a shifting tussock. "It's… huge…"

"Raticate," he said, stepping in front of her. The rat bared two sets of teeth which clacked together as it sniffed the air. "We should move on. Their bites are usually infected and it takes more than two of us to bring one down."

They made good ground for a few more minutes before he stopped his sister, indicating a brown shape he saw huddled farther in the grass. "A pidgey," he said. "They're very easy to catch. Go ahead and try, remember the crouch?"

She nodded and slunk towards the small brown bird which pecked at the ground, unaware. As she got closer, though, its movements ceased and it flicked its head from side to side. Ever knew it had sensed her but wasn't going to flee just yet, as long as she stopped moving.

Unfortunately she wasn't patient enough for that yet, and jumped out of the grass at her prey with a squeak. It was likely meant as a fearsome yowl, and the pidgey responded as such, flitting between Jewel's paws and into the air, squawking an alarm call. She turned away, tail drooping.

"Nice try," he said, glancing at the sky. "We probably have time to find another."

But it seemed fate had different plans for Ever and Jewel. Both of them stood stock-still at the same moment as their horns started to vibrate. Clearly, a vision of a couple humans towering above the tribe's camp flashed before their eyes. "Did you see that too?" he asked, shaking his head as the cliff returned to focus.

"Yes, strange pokemon in the camp."

"Humans," he corrected, turning his paws south. "We have to hurry!"

"No, no, they had strange pokemon with them," she said, breaking into a run.

"Did you catch what time of day it was?" he asked, impressed that she had seen more detail than he.

A loud roar answered him. He could feel his heart sink low in his chest as he spotted a plume of smoke on the grasslands below. The location had to be the tribe's camp. "We're going to be too late," he murmured aloud, but didn't let his pace falter until he realized Jewel was falling behind.

He paused only for long enough to kneel and allow her to climb on his back. Her claws dug into his pelt but he could barely feel it. His heart raced as he felt his face pulled taut in anger. Who would the humans take from them this time?

By the time they reached the camp, there was not a soul in it. Instead, what Ever and Jewel found was a smoking ruin. Nests were overturned, their woven straw singed. He sprayed a beam of ice over the still-smoldering branches of a dead tree. Last winter, he and a few other warriors had drug it here and hollowed it out to use as shelter. Now its bark was warped, ruined.

"Trainers," he growled darkly as he searched for any bodies or survivors who'd found a place to hide. He saw neither.

"How do you know?" Jewel murmured, sniffing delicately at the nest she shared with Soulflame, their mother. She tried to trample the blackened remains into something salvageable.

"No bodies," he answered. "Just destruction. There was a battle here."

"So they captured everyone?" Jewel sounded horrified.

"Hello! Is anyone here?" he called, but figured the tribe had evacuated and scattered, which was the usual procedure.

His voice had just finished echoing among the ruins as he heard a voice say, "Ever? Thank Arceus! Help!"

Ever followed the sound of the owner's voice to where Gale's cave should have been. White rocks hid the pelt of Brinewater, whose hind legs were trapped beneath them. He'd been Ever's friend since the two of them were cubs, nearly inseparable. Now, his eyes were filled with pain as Ever surveyed the rock fall before he started shifting the top one, trying to roll it with both paws.

"Oh no, Brine," Jewel whined. She bent and washed his face as her brother worked.

"How badly are you hurt?" Ever asked, shifting a smaller stone, which cracked as it landed next to were Brine's tail stuck out.

The absol took a moment to reply. "Not as badly as Gale. The whole cave collapsed. I tried to save her… but… she's stopped breathing."

"Stay calm, you did what you could," he soothed, though his pelt pricked with sadness at the loss of the elder—and likely, just the one of many losses that day.

Brine continued talking as if he hadn't heard, voice layered with pain, shock, and exhaustion. "They came from the sky, and their pokemon was some sort of dragon. They caught so many. I-I saw Soul get captured. Shell too. And Forest and Cream…"

He continued listing names. "Half the tribe," Jewel gasped. She was close to hysteria herself, having never seen an attack like this before.

"Jewel, come help me," Ever said, trying to keep his voice steady. "This is the biggest one. I need you to push."

Even with her help, the rock wouldn't budge. He whipped his tail in frustration. If they moved this one, Brine could probably squeeze out from under the rest. It was such close quarters he couldn't risk attacking it for fear of hurting his friend. Or could he? Taking a step back, he realized what he needed to do.

He gathered power within his horn and slashed at the offending rock, cutting it steadily in half with several blows. The top part slid easily into the pile he'd made, while he and Jewel had to heft the other half to follow. Brine gave a sigh of relief as the pressure was eased off his paws and drug himself out from the rest. His back legs were twisted, obviously broken, though Ever asked anyway, "Can you stand?"

Brine struggled to his paws with a pain-filled grunt. Reflexively he brought the right—the most damaged—leg up and started to wobble. Ever propped him up on his weak side, bearing his friend's weight on his shoulders and flank. "We have to take him to the healer," he said to Jewel, whose fur was still puffed out.

"I'll run ahead and find help," she said, but stopped as he shook his head.

"No, stay with us. I need to know you're safe."

Jewel huffed but went to the wounded absol's other side, doing her best to help as he limped. His jaw was set as ever step had to be agony for him, but the healer would make him right again. A blissey had come to live a short walk from their camp, in another of the caves farther south. None in the tribe knew why she was there, except to be a healer for them. One bite of the eggs she laid daily would remove even the worst aches.

"We'll probably find most of the tribe with Charice," Ever said. "Stay calm with me, Brine. Everything's going to be okay. Breathe with me." He exaggerated slow, easy breaths which he heard both his companions start to mimic.

The path to Charice's cave was well-worn from countless paw steps. The beaten earth sloped downward, helping Brine make quicker progress, though he needed to stop every few minutes to catch his breath. It was hard to see him this way—helpless and moments from panic. The adrenaline was fading, leaving Ever feeling tired and unfocused. He forced his paw steps to remain steady and tried to ignore the scent of blood on the trail. The rest of the wounded had already gone this way.

Silenced settled on them like a shroud as Brine struggled on for another hour. The sun was setting as he finally collapsed, nearly squashing Jewel beneath him. "No more," he moaned.

"We're almost there," Ever said, nudging him gently. "Charice will fix you up in no time."

Brine's only response was the sound of his snores. Glancing around, Ever figured the grass was tall enough to conceal them for the night, even though he craved the safety of the hollowed-out tree or a cave. Some sort of shelter over their heads, at the very least.

"Think the cave is close enough to bring Charice here?" Jewel interrupted his thoughts.

"I doubt she'd make it here before dawn," he said, tail flicking. "She's so…fat."

"Maybe I can bring a mouthful of egg to him, then?" she pressed.

Ever shifted uncomfortably. Sure, the cave was close, but she'd still be leaving his protection to go there. They'd lost their mother today, he thought; nothing would rip his sister from his claws while he still drew breath. His jaws were opening to reply when he scented another of his kind coming toward them. "Whitefur!" he called to the wind.

The female emerged from farther along the path, eyeing him warily before her gaze fell on Brine. "We thought he was captured," she gasped.

"No, but he's badly hurt. He passed out here."

"I was going to fetch some egg to give him," Jewel said.

Whitefur shook her head. "No need, we'll carry him. Any other survivors?" she asked Jewel, studiously ignoring her brother.

"None that we found. The cave collapsed, killed Gale and trapped Brine. Let's go," he answered for her. "I'm worried about him."

Cragstone paced silently from where Whitefur had emerged. He was a huge absol, scars lining his shoulders. He touched muzzles with Jewel, licking her cheek. Then his glare landed on Ever as he said, "_We _will take Brine to the healer. You will leave our lands immediately, traitor."


	3. The Sweet Forest

**Chapter 2**

Traitor. The word hung in the air for a moment while Ever blinked in surprise. "W-what?" he finally stammered. "I am no traitor."

"So tell me why you and Jewel weren't with the rest of the tribe. How the humans found our new home so easily," Crag said, baring his fangs.

"He was teaching me how to hunt! We came right back after our disaster sense warned us of the attack."

The large male snorted. "You are too young to learn how to hunt. Evernight used it as an excuse to keep you away as his human friends attacked us."

Ever's pelt fluffed in anger. "How dare you! Humans are no friend of mine. You know what they did to my father!"

"And now, your mother," Crag growled. "My mate. Gone! You will leave our tribe lands. We no longer recognize you as absol."

"I demand to see Highpeak!"

Crag shook his head. "Highpeak is gone too. I am leader now."

"I am not a traitor," his voice dropped to an intense whisper. "I love the tribe. I would never want any of us captured."

With one swipe of his muscular forepaw, Crag sent him sprawling into the tall grass. "You have a day to leave our territory. If a tribe member finds you here after then, he will kill you. On my orders. White. Let's get Brine to the healer."

Ever got back to his aching paws, watching as the two situated Brine's prone form on their backs. "And if you go to the healer, we'll kill you there, even before your time is up," Crag added over his shoulder. "Come along, Jewelstorm."

The small female came to stand next to her brother. "No," she said.

"You've done nothing wrong, sweetheart. Don't think you need to be punished with him." Crag struggled to look back at his daughter while keeping Brine over his shoulders.

"I know my big brother, and he isn't a traitor. He's the rightful heir to the Skysword! If you banish him, I will go with him," she said, planting her paws firmly.

Ever felt a rush of warmth under his pelt, though he murmured, "You would be much safer with the tribe."

"Not without you in it," she countered.

"You are too young to stray from the tribe! I demand you come with us," Crag snapped.

"No," she repeated. "I will only run away. My place is with Ever."

After a lengthy pause, Crag finally growled, "Very well. Go with him. Return when you realize the folly of your actions." Before he turned away, Ever caught a calculating gleam in his eyes. Crag nodded to White and they continued down the path, leaving the pair in silence.

"He turned the tribe against me," Ever murmured. It was like a dam breaking. All the loss they'd experienced that day hit him and he started shaking. The elder who told him stories all the time, gone. His mother, gone. His tribe, gone. Even his childhood friend, gone. There would be no way he'd see Brine again, he realized.

_You can outpace grief if your paws are moving_, Gale had always said. He hadn't realized exactly what she meant until that moment, as he gazed down at his sister. She was his responsibility now; he had to keep her safe no matter what.

Jewel pressed her pelt against his. Her green eyes were dull, likely with the same thoughts. "I believe in you," she said.

Looking into her big, trusting eyes, Ever felt a little better. He wasn't alone. He didn't know where they would go or what they would do, but at least there were two of them. And of course he would keep her safe, he always had.

"Let's find a place to sleep," he said. "Get our strength back."

She bobbed her head. "Papa said we have a day. That's plenty of time."

They waded into the tall grass for a way, until Ever felt he could no longer pick up his paws. He trampled some blades until he'd made a crude nest for them and cuddled next to his sister. As soon as his eyes closed, he was fast asleep.

* * *

The sun was well in the sky when Ever woke, accidentally displacing Jewel by her squeak. "Where to?" she asked sleepily.

He yawned and shook out his pelt. "North, I think," he said. "We know there used to be tribes that lived in the forest and even farther than that. I don't know what's beyond the grasslands to the south."

With Mount Eternal in the distance, Ever set his paws to the north. His pads were sore from yesterday, and he couldn't imagine what his sister must be feeling. She kept pace with him, though, ever as he moved briskly. He'd decided they needed to be at the forest edge well before nightfall and that left little time to waste, especially since he needed to hunt for them soon.

There were no fresh scents of the tribe ahead of them, even as they passed what remained of their camp. "They must be retreating farther south," he thought aloud. It bothered him. Grassland wasn't their natural territory. They were meant to live among the snow and ice of the mountains—their bright white pelts stood out here.

"What are they going to do with the other absol tribe?" she asked.

"Join them, maybe."

"Only one tribe… how sad." Her tail drooped.

"Hey," he said, nudging her. "How about we get something to eat?"

Immediately, her tail went back up. "I see some high ground up ahead!"

They scaled the small hill and crouched down in the grass. "Patience is the key to success," he murmured to her as they waited. She'd need to learn how to hunt right away now that it was just the two of them. Some time passed, and he felt his pelt get hot as the grass and sky were still empty of prey.

After what felt like an eternity, two pidgey set down close to where they hid. He stalked forward, hearing his sister following shortly behind. She veered away from him, toward one of the birds, while he focused the other. Their gazes locked; he nodded. He leapt, his paw landing squarely on his prey's neck with an audible snap. Jewel growled in frustration as the other bird flitted away.

"It's okay, one's enough for both of us," he said, though he could've eaten the whole bird by himself. He restrained the urge to gorge himself and let Jewel have her fill first.

"I wonder what it's like," Jewel said after they'd cleaned the blood from their muzzles and continued walking.

"Hm?"

"To be captured."

"Cramped, I think. How else would you fit in a little ball?" he said, shivering at the thought.

"I hope Mama's comfortable," she said.

"Me too," he murmured.

They walked in silence for a while. She was the first to break it. "Do you ever think about your Papa?"

"A lot," he said. "Sometimes I wish he'd come back."

"Not all the time?"

"Just when you annoy me," he said, blinking affectionately.

"Hey!"

He laughed, even as their conversation faded to quiet once more. He'd barely known his father, but the tribe had always remembered him as a hero. When the human trainers came, it had been his father that stood up for the tribe and fought them off. Until, of course, one human had been prepared and caught him instead.

"Are we going after the Skysword?" Jewel interrupted his thoughts.

"What?" he said, surprised. "No."

"Why not? We're headed the right way."

Ever tilted his head to one side, measuring his words carefully. "I have to find the Skysword without any help. And I'm not going to leave you yet to find it."

_But_, said a small voice in his head. _The Skysword is supposed to change destinies. You could use it to free the tribe members that were captured._

"I'm coming with you to find it," she said stubbornly. "You need me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," she said, weighing the word heavily. "No absol hunts alone."

"My father found it alone," he said.

"He didn't have a cool sister like me," she said, puffing her chest out.

"That is true," he admitted. His grandparents had been captured before they could have another child.

"So we're going for the Skysword, then."

"One pawstep at a time, Jewel."

"What does that even mean?"

"Let's get to the forest first," he said. "Then we'll decide whether to go get the Skysword."

She seemed pleased by this, if her tail in the air was any indication. She didn't realize he was stalling for time, and would continue to do so until she was grown. If he was going after the artifact and had to take her with him, he surely wasn't doing it when she was barely older than a cub.

His eyes fixed on the distant form of Mount Eternal, shrouded as always at the top by clouds. _Where the sky touches the earth_. It had to be there.

* * *

They reached the forest in good time. Pleased for the moment, Ever glanced up at the sun, which slid ever closer to the horizon. In a few pawsteps, he would be farther than he'd ever been from the tribe's territory. By his side, Jewel took in the odd scents around them. He did the same, recognizing very little.

They needed to find three things before night fell. "We need to hunt, find water, and a place to rest," he said. "Let's see what we can find."

Belly rumbling, he slunk into the sparse grass which grew beneath the forest's extensive canopy. Little light reached this far down. Ever felt he stuck out among the brown leaves which crunched under his paws. An unfamiliar bird called to another, taking wing in a flutter of air. It sounded huge, but when he froze and looked up, he didn't see even a feather of it.

Instead, a strange bug buzzed past. It had three faces, all frozen in a pleasant expression. Two tiny wings kept its large, limbless body aloft, fanning a sweet scent around it. "What is that?" his sister hissed, shrinking low to the ground.

"I don't know," he answered, watching as it buzzed away, unaware of them. "Let's keep going, it might come back with its friends and attack."

Ever picked a direction and was soon following the sound of fresh, running water. Where there was water, there was prey, so they would likely be able to finish two necessities at the same time. The undergrowth was lusher here, with thick bushes dotted with bright berries and tall grass. They'd found a stream of fresh water, trickling down the slope. The air was rich with the scents of potential prey pokemon. All they would need to do is wait here for…

A rattata emerged from the bushes and fearlessly stooped to drink from the stream with him and Jewel. Ever couldn't believe his luck. The stupid thing had come right to them. As he leapt at it, it turned and squeaked, "Hi! You two look new—eek!"

Something smashed his head in midair, propelling him into the stream with a splash. "What are you doing!" another voice exclaimed. "You could have hurt her!"

"Of course, I'm hungry," he growled, shaking water from his fur. A mouse-like pokemon stood before the cowering rattata, balanced on its thick tail. It was mostly brown, with a striped tail and a white circle on its belly. Two alert ears twitched at the top of its head.

It watched him warily, only coming to his shoulder in size. "Eat the berries then!" it said, shaking a small fist at him. Upon hearing its voice again, Ever discerned it was male. "They're here for everyone to share."

"You look tasty, what are you?" he asked.

The mouse hitched higher on his tail. "I'm a sentret and I'm not afraid of you!"

"Ever," his sister sounded like she had her mouth full. Figuring the two prey pokemon would bolt, he glanced over at her. She trotted up with her tail high in the air, several small berries clamped in her jaws. "You have to try one!"

He sniffed cautiously at the berries she dropped at his feet. "You _have to _be more careful," he hissed. "These could be poison."

"Actually Mr. Big and White, nothing poisonous grows in the Sweet Forest. You must be really new," the sentret said. "Why don't you try the blue one? Those are the best!"

Ever turned and regarded the sentret and rattata, who remained on their side of the stream, watching him with big eyes. "Why are you still here?"

"We like visitors," said the rattata. "Even big, scary ones like you."

He tilted his head to one side. "I eat rattata."

"Things are different here," she said.

"Everrrrrr." Jewel nudged him. "They want to be our friends."

He regarded her, and then the two across the stream, who seemed to be awaiting something. At his feet were the berries his sister had brought. They smelled sweet, not unlike the rare sugar grass that the tribe ate for special occasions. He nosed the blue one, sniffing closely, but it seemed fine. He ate it, blinking in surprise as it seemed to explode with juice.

"Good, huh?" the sentret asked. "There's enough in the forest for all of us."

"Are there no predators here?"

The sentret and rattata exchanged glances. "Not anymore," the rattata squeaked. "They all left because of the Honey War. Either they were chased off or eat berries like the rest of us."

"So we need to be like you if we want to stay here," Jewel said.

Ever was too busy eating the other berries Jewel had brought. "You say there's a war going on here?" he asked finally, cleaning juice off his muzzle.

"Yes. Between the combee and beedrill queens," said the sentret. "Are you still thinking about eating us?"

He shook his head. "We need to stay here for a while," he admitted. "And those berries taste better than you would."

"I told you, Bandit," said the rattata, nudging her companion. "He looked like a big softie to me."

"Right," Bandit said, breathing out a tense sigh. "We got off on the wrong paw, I think," he continued to Ever. "I'm Bandit, and this is my mate, Cherry. What… who are you?"

"I'm Jewel," his sister said enthusiastically. "We're absol!"

Their eyes shifted to him expectantly. "Call me Ever," he said.

Lightning boomed in the distance. He glanced up, seeing a hint of cloud through the canopy above them. "Do you know of a place we can nest for the night?"

"You can stay with us tonight," Cherry said, earning an incredulous glance from her mate.

"Sure!" Jewel said.

And that's how Ever found himself in a cozy little burrow by nightfall. It smelled freshly dug, with the sweet tang of berries in the air from past meals. A few tree roots cleaved through the roof. Jewel was already asleep, exhausted, in the back corner, a copper glint among a pile of tiny rattata and sentret babies. It seemed his sister was a master at making friends.

He, on the other paw, was being watched almost constantly by Bandit. The sentret sat watch at the entrance to the burrow as the sound of sheeting rain filled the air outside, accompanied by the occasional crack of lightning. Ever crept out of his corner to sit next to him. "Won't this place flood?" he asked quietly.

"No way," Bandit whispered. "My kind _knows_ how to dig. It all stays pooled at a nook at the top. It's a little soggy getting in and out for a while but dry paws in here."

The absol nodded. He went suddenly still, barely hearing the sentret suggest he get some sleep. Dread hit him as his horn started to vibrate. A vision of lightning striking a huge tree filled his vision. It splintered at the base as it loomed upon what looked like a wall of the odd bug pokemon he'd seen earlier, with the three faces.

"Something wrong?" Bandit asked as Ever shot to his paws, accidentally scraping his horn against the ceiling.

"Take care of my sister. You know what will happen if she comes to harm," Ever said, putting growling menace into his words.

He raced out of the burrow, instantly getting soaked. He glanced up, turning in a circle, trying to find the tree in his vision. _There! _ Beyond the canopy of trees, he could see a tree towering over the rest. That had to be it. His paws initially slipped on the wet undergrowth as he ran full-pelt toward it.

Unlike his last vision, he arrived before the disaster struck. The bug swarm slept in some sort of wall, interlocking their bodies for protection. "Wake up!" he hollered. "This tree is about to fall on you! You have to move!"

Thousands of confused bug faces blinked sleepily at him. "Go!" he barked, motioning with his horn. Much too slow for his tastes, the bug wall broke up into individual bugs, which scattered into the forest.

_BOOM! _This close, the crack of lightning nearly deafened him. The tree gave an ominous lurch, limbs shaking as if flailing at the air. Ever raced away from the falling trunk, until he noticed panicked motion at the periphery of his vision. With one small wing flapping uselessly at its side, a bug with a red gem at the center of its heads thrashed forward much too slow to get away.


End file.
